Gate.



No. 820,735. PATENTED MAY 15, 1906. L. E. REAMES.- GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG.12, 1905 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nucnroz PATENTED MAY 15, 1906.

L. E. RBAMES.

GATE.

APPLIOATION FILED D20. 12, 1905 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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' I lrrow s UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 15, 1906.

Application filed December 12, 1905. Serial No, 291,424.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEwIs E. REAMEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Liberty, in the county of Logan and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to gates and to means for opening and closing the same.

The object of the invention is to provide gate-actuating mechanism which can be operated at any desired distance from the gate and Which when the gate is closed or open serves to hold it in such position.

The invention consists of an actuating-bar formed of two sections pivotally connected, one of saidsections being secured by means of a universal joint to a supporting-post, While the other section is pivoted to a gate. Means are provided whereby one of these sections can be pulled upward, so as to break the joint between the two members and cause the gate to be swung on its hinges. After the point of connection between the two barsections passes the center of gravity during the raising operation it will fall into such a position as to pull the gate entirely open. The parts are so arranged that the gate can be closed by repeating the above operation, the pull upon one of the members serving to return the bar to its initial position.

The invention also consists of certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of my invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate having my improved mechanism connected. thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gate and its actuating-bar, the post of the gate being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the positions assumed by the parts when the gate is opened. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one end of the actuating-bar, showing the position assumed by its parts when the gate is closed, one of the members of the socket of the universal joint being removed; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the positions of the parts when the gate is open.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a post having a gate 2 hinged thereto, and said gate may be of any preferred construction, it preferably consisting of an end rail 3, top and bottom rails 4, and braces 5. Looped straps 6 extend from the top and bottom rails at their ends and surround an adjustable end rail 7, which is engaged by screws 8, extending through the straps 6, so that by turning these screws said end rail can be moved away from the ends of strips 4. Wires 9 connect the two end rails 3 and 7, and therefore when the end rail 7 is adjusted in this manner the wires will be tightened.

A short post 10 is located a short distance from the gate-post 1 and has a stem 11 projecting upward from it and terminating in a ball 12. This ball works Within op ositely-disposed. similar sockets 13, formed at the ends of strips 14, which are secured to opposite faces of one of the members 15 of the gate-actuating bar. These plates are fastened to said member preferably by means of bolts 16 and extend therebeyond, as shown at 17, to form arms. The end of member 15 is shouldered, as shown at 18, and is adapted to be overlapped and engaged by the shouldered end 19 of the other or long member 20 of the gate-actuating bar. One end of this member 20 is pivotally connected to the gate 2, preferably at its center and in any suitable manner, as by means of staples 21.

An arm 22 extends laterally from the upper end of post 1 to a point above the post 10 and has a pulley depending therefrom on which are mounted ropes 23, which extend in opposite directions from said pulley and are secured at one end to an eye 24 upon the long member 20 of the gate-actuating bar. These ropes may extend any desired distances from the gate and are supported at their free ends by posts 25, having pulleys 26 thereon. Handles 27 are connected to the ends of the ropes, so that they may be readily actuated. manually.

When a person approaches the gate and desires to open it, he grasps the handle 27 and by pulling down on it will cause the rope 23 to pull upon eye 24 and break the gateactuating bar, so that the oint of connection between the two mem ers thereof will be swung upward past the center of gravity, such action causing the gate to swing upon its hinges. The rope 23 can then be released by the operator, and. the bar will drop into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The

gate will therefore be swung into open position and will be securely held, because the same cannot be closed unless the pivot between the sections of the bar is swung upward past the center of gravity. This action of the bar will of course swing the eye 24 past the post 1, and the parts will therefore be in a position to close the gate when either of the ropes 23 is pulled upward. Should one of the ropes be pulled, the eye 24 will carry the member 20 upward, so that the pivotal connection between the two members will be carried over the center of gravity and the weight of the bar will cause its members and to drop into their initial position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, thereby closing the gate and holding it.

I attach importance to the use of a balland-socket connection between the gate-actuating bar and its supporting-post, because considerable freedom of movement is thus permitted and there is no danger of the action of the parts being interfered with by rain, snow, &c. The handles 27 are preferably weighted so as to keep the ropes 23 taut under all conditions.

What I claim is The combination with a post and a gate hinged thereto; of a support, a stem secured 30 to and projecting upward from said support,

der, a second bar-section pivotally secured between the elongated portions of said strips and having a portion of its end cut away to form a shoulder, said cut-away ends being designed to overlap each other, said second section being pivotally connected to the gate at its opposite end, the meeting ends of both of said sections adapted to swing upon their pivotal connection solely in a vertical plane, an arm extending from the post, and means depending from the arm and secured to the second bar section adapted to swing the point of connection between said sections over the support.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS E. REAMES.

IVitnesses:

LORENA A. OUTLAND, GAYLORD OUTLAND; 

